Huperzia saururus Lam. Trevis. (Lycopodiaceae) facilitates ejaculation in spinal cord transected male rats

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Huperzia saururus (Lam.) Trevis. has an extensive ethnopharmacological use, mainly because of its aphrodisiac properties. The species is consumed as decoctions or infusions in traditional medicine. The purpose of the present research was to determine if Huperzia saururus is able to increase sexual potency by evaluating the ejaculatory response, in the presence of a decoction in spinal cord transected male rats.

Materials and methods: The fictive ejaculation model to record the rhythmic contractions of the bulbospongiosus muscles that accompany ejaculation as an indicator of ejaculation occurrence was used. Sexually experienced male Wistar rats were used. The activation of the fictive ejaculation by the i.v. administration of a decoction was tested, as well as the effects of the oxytocinergic, cholinergic, adrenergic and nitrergic antagonism upon the pro-ejaculatory activity of Huperzia saururus.

Results: Decoction (3µg/animal) was able to activate the fictive ejaculation in spinal male rats, producing a statistically significant diminution on the latency of discharge parameter and a statistically significant augment for the number of discharges. Moreover, when sequential treatments using antagonists plus decoction were administered, the effects produced showed that prazosin prevent the pro-ejaculatory effect of the decoction and that the four antagonists assayed blocked the facilitatory effect of Huperzia saururus since the facilitation in the latency of response was prevented, and the number of discharges was reduced. Together these findings support the notion that the decoction exerts an aphrodisiac effect influencing the ejaculatory potency which is partially mediated by oxytocinergic, cholinergic, adrenergic and nitrergic spinal mechanisms.

Conclusion: In agreement to the ethnopharmacological uses, Huperzia saururus decoction has aphrodisiac properties by influence on the ejaculatory potency.

Keywords: Aphrodisiac; Atosiban (PubChem CID: 5311010); Ejaculation potency; Hexamethonium (PubChem CID: 5938); Huperzia saururus; L-NAME (PubChem CID: 39836); Prazosin (PubChem CID: 4893); Spinal mechanisms; Spinal rat.